Tuesday, August 5, 2014

47 weeks -Bill Gates

Hey there everybody =) 

The week was good, and we've almost survived our transfers! I am still in Cruzeiro do Sul and still the senior comp, but Elder Camargos left for another area. He's an example of what our transfers can be like here in the Brazil Manaus Mission: He left on Saturday at 7pm on the bus, got to Rio Branco at 7am on Sunday, stayed Sunday there, then caught an airplaneat 4am to Porto Velho, after that, he caught another bus for 15 hours to go to his new area. GOOD LUCK for all of us haha. I am going to miss him as my companion, but I know my new companion already and he's a pretty good guy too. Plus, he's another Brazilian! 

I'm definitely missing home with all of the pictures and fun stories from Cali! You guys are there having a blast and I'm here having a blast, still not the same though haha. The week was pretty good for us, really slow teaching-wise, but that will change this week. We have 3 or 4 young men now who are preparing to serve missions and all want to go out with us. One of them is only 11 haha, but he's determined to be at at least one of our lessons. His family is really iffy in the Church (dad is strong in the Church, mom thinks she's catholic, older brother is just a typical teenager, and his little sister isn't old enough to understand), and so he is having a hard time staying active too. However, he's all of a sudden really picked up the desire to come to church and was even playing volleyball with the missionaries and others from the community today. He bore his testimony in church yesterday too! There is a big rumor here that Bill Gates founded the Mormon church and so many other lies, but he said in front of everyone, "I may not know who Bill Gates is, but I know who Jesus Christ is" from the mouth of babes right? Why the rest of the world is so closed off to the Savior, I will never understand, but I do know that I will continue to help everyone grow closer to him. It doesn't take a genius to know who Christ is, it just takes a little faith, after that, you'll see all of the miracles that He has in store for you.

In other news, I'm definitely in the jungle! A jaguar killed a guy the other day in Rio Branco! It's 12 hours from here on the bus, but still pretty sweet! I also was talking with one of the Indians who we are going to baptize and he has a necklace of jaguar teeth! I want one of them if I can swing it. I doubt I will get one, but maybe if I'm lucky! We're also teaching a guy named Francisco, and the only thing I can think of every time I talk to him is, "Francisco, that's fun to say" and then I can't help laughing to myself haha =) Life is definitely good =) I don't have very much to write this week, because it really was just a lot of walking and a lot of teaching. Make sure to say some extra prayers for the missionaries out here and around the world. We go through some extremes when it comes to weather and things like that, and we can't do anything about it. It's going to get really, really hot here over the next few months, and we just have to suck it up. The other day, we were all kind of hit by it, and it was the first time that I could actually feel how tired I was after walking in the sun for two or three hours. Nothing to worry about, we just make sure to drink a lot of water and find people to teach (so we can stop walking in the sun and sit inside) but prayers will definitely help =)

Tell grandpa that I said hi! I miss him too and am very much looking forward to the baseball game when I get home. I don't take very much time to think about stuff like that, but it's nice to remember and to look forward to. I tried sending him an email the other week (probably more time than that), but I'm not sure if the email was right. 

I love you all! Remember how important you are to Heavenly Father, and nothing else matters!

Love always,

Elder Sanderson

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